It was the greatest education system the world had ever seen. They built it into the eucalyptus-dotted Berkeley hills and under the bright lights of Los Angeles, down in the valley in Fresno and in the shadows of the San Bernardino Mountains.

Nearly 500 public colleges that account for three-quarters of all four-year college students pledged Tuesday to produce a combined 3.8 million additional graduates by 2025, an ambitious target that would help bring the United States closer to its goal of regaining its lost global lead in college attainment.

The U.S. Department of Education hosted an A-list of 150 higher education leaders and "disrupters" for a discussion Monday on how the federal government can encourage the more efficient production of college degrees and credentials.

East Stroudsburg University will now be partnering with The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton to offer a collaborative masters program. The partnership hopes to better prepare future health care professionals.